Avatar Drabbles
by incandescens
Summary: Drabbles for Avatar: The Last Airbender, on a range of subjects. All 100 words precisely.
1. alcohol is not the fifth element

**alcohol is not the fifth element**

"Yes," Iroh said, his neckcloth drawn up to cover his mouth in case of stray sparks. "Technically a waterbender can indeed bend alcohol, my nephew. And I am delighted -- that is, saddened -- to hear that the Water Tribe girl has advanced in her studies. And I quite agree with you that a drunken Avatar is a threat to the entire world and not just a case of retrieving honour. However -- and I want you to remember this -- it was neither the time nor the place to announce your arrival with the usual fire blast."

"Hic," said Zuko, and keeled over.


	2. fast talking dragon

**fast talking dragon**

"We work well under pressure," Iroh informed the tea shop proprietor. "Reliable, quick to take action, tenacious when it comes to tracking down problems, intelligent and open to a wide variety of possibilities when it comes to solving the problems . . ."

"And your nephew?"

"Ready for anything. Keen, ambitious, a strong sense of priorities."

"There's smoke coming out of his ears."

"Eager for action. Nothing can stop him. Does the washing like a water-bender. Digs the ditches like an earth-bender. Handles the stoves like a, you know. Makes tea --"

"Well?"

"Not very well," Iroh admitted. "But we're working on it."


	3. a greenish shade of envy

**a greenish shade of envy**

Admiral Zhao brooded. His brows drew together as he stared towards the ship that Prince Iroh (doddering old fool) shared with Prince Zuko (irritating young fool). He could hear the sound of distant music.

It irked him that they could indulge in such folly, on the brink of his great achievement. It gnawed at him that they might hinder his manifest destiny. It embittered him that Zuko -- that brat -- had defeated him in the _agni kai_.

But most of all he was jealous of the music. He'd never even been able to get a tune out of his old harmonica.


	4. music evening

**music evening**

"Listen," Katara said as they floated in the encompassing fog, "you can hear music."

Sokka would have disagreed on general principles, but he could hear it too. Someone below was singing about the turning seasons, to the accompaniment of lute and drum.

Aang sniffed. "Smoke. Fire Nation ship below."

Katara sighed. "Why can't they all be like that? Peaceful, musical, artistic . . ."

"Dammit, uncle!" a voice drifted up. "I won't play the horn!"

The three blinked.

"We're hallucinating," Aang said.

"Something in the fog," Sokka agreed.

"Let's just listen to the music," Katara suggested.

Below, the horn intoned melodiously and sulkily.


	5. the hour is come, but not the man

**the hour is come, but not the man**

In Aang's dreams, the Avatars turn to each other and complain.

"Never happened in my day," Avatar Roku mutters.

Avatar Kyoshi snaps out one of her fans to its full spread and sulks behind it.

"But one of you must know about it!" Aang rages at them.

They glance at each other, hundreds upon hundreds upon hundreds of them, then look back to him, and slowly fade away, hands spread in resignation.

"I don't know what to do!"

His voice cracks, and he wakes gasping for air.

He can feel the dryness in the air, the countdown to Sozin's comet.


	6. it all goes up in smoke

**it all goes up in smoke**

Azula sleeps like a baby; calm, placid, unmoving.

In between the closing and opening of her eyes, she dreams. She knows what _they_ will do to her if it goes wrong. She can hear Zuko's voice gloating, the mockery of Mai and Ty Lee, the jeers of the mob.

All the fools that she plays like puppets, all turning against her; their scorn, their vengeance.

She sees her father's hand, gloved in fire, descending towards her face.

She knows exactly where she is when she wakes up; she is Azula, daughter of the Fire Lord, and she is in command.


	7. annotations on a WANTED poster

**annotations on a WANTED poster**

**WANTED : THE AVATAR**

Description:  
Boy, bald, (scored out)blue(scored out) flashy glowing arrow tattoos on head  
(scored out)Accompanied by giant flying bison(scored out) No longer accompanied by giant flying bison.  
(scored out)In company of two Water Nation brats(scored out) In company of one irritating Water Nation brat with boomerang and his really rather fetching sister who happens to be a superb Waterbender.  
(scored out)Otherwise alone(scored out) Somewhere got his hands on an Earthbender, rot his guts.  
Believed to be heading into (scored out)Fire Nation Water Nation Earth Nation Ba Sing Se(scored out) why not just tear the damned map up.  
(scored out)Avoid treasonous preaching(scored out) Gag before his babbling drives you mad.


	8. don't care was made to care

**don't care was made to care**

He should have been able to give it up. He should. It wasn't fair.

They were going to take him away from Monk Gyatso, and they weren't going to let him do _anything_ fun, and they were going to take him away from Monk Gyatso --

-- and so he took himself away. They didn't have any _right_ to make him do all that stuff. He hadn't asked to be born the Avatar.

As the ocean rose up to claim him, he had time for a sulky _It's all your fault anyway._

The Avatar State didn't care. It swallowed him in light.


End file.
